WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC BUREAU REGIONAL DU PACIFIQUE OCCIDENTAL
REGIONAL COMMITTEE Sixty-third session Hanoi, Viet Nam 24–28 September 2012 Agenda item 15
WPR/RC63/NGO/3 25 September 2012 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
STATEMENT BY THE INTERNATIONAL LIFE SCIENCES INSTITUTE SOUTHEAST ASIA REGION (ILSI SEAR) By Mr Geoffry Lamar Smith
I.
ILSI SEA Region initiatives in the Field of Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition
Since March 2009, ILSI SEAR has organized Expert Consultations on Infant and Early Childhood Nutrition. Countries represented are China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand. The goal is “to generate and promote relevant science-based information that will help improve nutritional status, growth and development of infants and young children in Southeast Asia.” II. Regional Nutrition Issues and Priorities Identified
In 2012, the 3rd Expert Consultation on Infant and Young Child Nutrition identified the following issues that are relevant to the region: (1) While the WHO indicators for assessing infant and young child feeding practices should be adopted in our region, ways to improve their use should be studied and documented (e.g., do the indicators accurately reflect nutrient intake in the context of the relevant countries). (2) Studies indicate that maternal employment reduces the duration of breastfeeding. In order to promote breastfeeding among working women, the needs of breastfeedng mothers in the context of their work environment have to be identified. (3) With regard to the effects of maternal nutrition on offspring health, the following issues need to be examined: Country-specific recommendations on the type of maternal supplements that optimize fetal outcomes (e.g. multiple micronutrients vs. iron folate tablets vs. single nutrients); Recommendations for teen pregnancies;
WPR/RC63/NGO/3 page 2 Maternal nutrient deficiencies and excess which affect infants (e.g. vitamin D, vitamin K, iodine, nutrient content of breastmilk); Environmental contaminants in breastmilk of Asian mothers and effects on offspring health and development. (4) In our region, certain segments of the population, mostly the middle class, provide infants and children with vitamin and mineral supplements, as well as fortified milk products for pediatric use. ILSI is hoping to organize review of adequate fortification requirements and intakes, especially for children. III. Thoughts and suggestions on how intersectoral activities might be coordinated and monitored
There are too few studies on infant and young child feeding practices to allow optimal understanding of the existing situation in the various countries in our region. Both in-depth qualitative and epidemiological studies are needed to give a better picture regarding this aspect. One suggestion for an intersectoral activity is the creation of a working group on the use of the WHO indicators for assessing infant and young child feeding practices in the context of our region nearby countries. ILSI SEAR can coordinate activities that look into the validity and applicability of these indicators for each country in the region, and find ways to improve their use so as to accurately reflect feeding practices and lead to a more accurate situation analysis of practices in the region.